Sermon
#25 Luke
Sermons
Title: How Does A Sinner Approach The Lord
In Order To Obtain Mercy?
Text: Luke 5:12-16
Subject: The Healing of the Leper
Date: Sunday Evening – February 27, 2000[1]
Tape # V-73A
Readings: Office:
Ron Wood Auditorium: Gary Baker
Introduction:
This
is a solemn occasion. I am standing before you with this awesome responsibility
- I must preach to you the Word of God. Nothing in all the world is more
serious than that. You who are setting before me have a great responsibility as
well. -- If God the Holy Spirit is pleased to speak through me, you are going
to hear a man preach the gospel of God’s free grace. That is a great privilege.
But it is also a great responsibility. When you stand before God in the day of
judgment, you will have to give an account of what you have heard. That is an
awesome thought. You and I will give an account of every sermon we have heard.
What is more, we will be required to give an account of every sermon we had
opportunity to hear. Let me say a few things about this matter of preaching and
hearing the gospel, which might impress your hearts with the solemnity of this
occasion.
1.
Every true sermon is a
proclamation of the Word of God. Paul said to Timothy, “Preach the word!” Preaching is the
faithful exposition of the Word of God. “To
the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is
because there is no life in them” (Isa. 8:20).
2.
For another thing, all true
preaching is the preaching of Christ and him crucified (1
Cor. 2:2; 2 Cor. 4:5). Jesus Christ and him crucified is the foundation and
essence of all gospel doctrine; and therefore he is the foundation, essence,
and substance of all true preaching. Preaching, if it is true, biblical, and
apostolic, exalts the person and Work of Christ.
3.
Again, biblical preaching is
plain, simple, forceful, and practical (1 Cor. 2:1-5). The true
preacher addresses men where they are. Preaching, true, gospel preaching rises
from personal experience. Sermons may be produced by much study. But messages
are born from experience. The real preacher puts himself into the position of
his hearers, and tries to answer the very questions they are asking.
4.
And every true preacher
carries a message sent from God to you (Rom. 10:15). The preacher
is a man with a burden on his heart and a message in his soul. He must deliver
the burden of the Word of the Lord. He must declare the message God has given
him.
5.
Once more, the preacher who
is sent of God and declares the message of God will be successful. All
true preaching gets results (2 Cor. 2:14-17; Isa. 55:11). The preacher’s
success is not to be measured in worldly terms. His success is just this - He
accomplishes the purpose of God.
Now,
tonight, I believe, I have a message from God for you. I hope that God the Holy
Spirit will give me power to declare it and that he will give you ears to
receive it, for the glory of Christ. I want to be plain, practical, and
forceful, as I try to persuade sinners to seek mercy at the hands of Christ
Jesus. This is my subject - How Does A Sinner Approach The Lord In order
To Obtain Mercy? You have my text in Luke 5:12-16.
Luke 5:12-16
"And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man
full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his
face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me
clean. (13) And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I
will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. (14) And he charged him to tell no man:
but go, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according
as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. (15) But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and
great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their
infirmities. (16) And he withdrew
himself into the wilderness, and prayed."
Piecing together the accounts of Matthew,
Mark, and Luke, this event took place just after our Lord had finished his
Sermon on the Mount. “The people were
astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not
as the scribes.” When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes
followed after him. And there was one man full of leprosy who made his way
through the crowd. He came through the great mass of men, crying, “Unclean, unclean.” When he got to the
Savior, he fell down at his feet and worshipped him, saying, “Lord,
if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” “And Jesus put forth his hand, and
touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean.”
Here is an unclean leper
seeking mercy from the hands of Christ; and he obtained the mercy he sought.
The Lord made him whole.
Oh, may this miracle be
repeated in our midst this hour! Is there a man or woman in this place like the
leper, unclean, hopeless, helpless, friendless, and alone? There is hope for
you. If one has been made whole, why not another? Does God forgive sin; then
why not my sin? Does God justify the ungodly; then why not me? Does Christ
receive sinners; then why not me? Is there mercy with the Lord for the guilty;
then why not for me? Did Christ die for sinners; then why not for me? Does God
save the unrighteous; then why not me?
Proposition: If
you would obtain mercy, you must seek mercy like this poor leper - From the
hands of Christ.
Divisions:
1. This man came to our Lord
with a deep sense of his need.
2. This leper came to Christ in
great humiliation.
3. This man came to the Lord in
faith.
4. This man came to the Lord in
total submission.
5. This man obtained mercy, and
so may you.
I. My first point is this - THIS MAN CAME TO THE
LORD JESUS WITH A DEEP SENSE OF HIS NEED.
We do not read anything else in the Bible
about this history of this man. We do not know who his parents were, where he
was from, how old he was, or what became of him. He seems to be set before us for one reason. -- He shows us
how a sinner must come to the Lord, if he would have mercy. And the first thing
is this - We must have a sense of our need.
A. You are all familiar with what leprosy is and what
it represents.
Leprosy was a loathsome disease, common
during the days of our Lord’s earthly ministry. It fitly represents the plague
of sin with which sons of Adam are diseased. Mr. Thomson in his famous work,
“The Land and the Book,” describes lepers in Israel like this: “The hair falls
from the head and eyebrows. The nails loosen, decay, and drop off. Joint after
joint of the fingers and toes shrink up and slowly fall away. The gums are
absorbed, and the teeth disappear. The nose, the eyes, the tongue, and the
palate are slowly consumed.” The leper is a loathsome, miserable, outcast
creature. He is walking death.
1. Leprosy, like sin, is a
loathsome, unclean disease.
2. Leprosy, like sin, was an
incurable disease.
3. Leprosy, like sin, is a
consuming disease.
4. Leprosy, like sin, is a sure
forerunner of death.
B. The man in our text had a keen sense of his
desperate need.
Here was a man whose body was covered from
head to toe with leprosy. His disease was always before him. There was no
hiding it. His body was covered with ulcers oozing with a liquid of sickening
smell. His body was racked with pain. Luke tells us that he was “full of leprosy.” He knew that he
needed help. He needed supernatural, merciful, divine help. He needed the help
of God. Without it, he would surely die.
Now,
this is the very reason why many of you have never come to Christ, you do not
have any sense of need. You do not feel that you need Christ. But some of you,
I have reason to believe, are like this leper. You have come to feel your need of Christ. The plague of sin
in your heart causes your very soul to burn with fever. You are lost, helpless,
unclean, and doomed. You know that without Christ, you will surely die. You
need him and you know it.
1. His power to heal you.
2. His blood to cleanse you.
3. His righteousness to cover
you.
4. His mercy to save you.
This
is the first step toward salvation. Those who sense their need of mercy will
soon obtain mercy.
All the fitness he requireth
Is to feel
your need of Him.
II. The next thing is that THIS LEPER CAME TO
CHRIST IN GREAT HUMILIATION.
Luke says that, “Seeing Jesus, he fell on his face.” Mark tells us that he came “Kneeling.” Matthew tells us that he
came worshipping.
That is just the way you
must come to Christ, kneeling and falling on your face at his feet, worshipping
him. You must come down.
·
Down from your pride.
·
Down from your self-righteousness.
·
Down from your self-sufficiency.
·
You must come down in your own eyes.
·
Down, down, down, all the way down to the feet of Christ (Lk. 18:9-14).
Luke 18:9-14
"And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves
that they were righteous, and despised others: (10) Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee,
and the other a publican. (11) The
Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not
as other men are, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. (12) I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I
possess. (13) And the publican,
standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be
merciful to me a sinner. (14) I tell
you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be
abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
A. If you ever see who and what you are, you will come
down.
1. You are a poor son of Adam.
2. You are full of uncleanness.
3. You are cursed, condemned,
and ready to die.
4. You are helpless.
5. You are unworthy of God’s
slightest notice. – “Unclean!”
B. If you ever see who Christ is and what he is, you
will come down.
1. He is holy, righteous, and
true.
2. He is a God full of mercy,
love, and compassion.
3. He is a God able and willing
to save.
4. He is a Fountain opened for
cleansing.
5. He is God, whose glory it is
to forgive sin.
C. God knows how to bring sinners down to the feet of
his Son.
1. God brings sinners down in
his providence.
2. God brings sinners down by
the law, pronouncing their uncleanness.
3. God brings sinners down by
the gospel.
4. God brings sinners down by
revealing Christ to them.
Can
you go with me this far? Do you feel your desperate need of Christ? Has your
heart been broken and humbled at the feet of Christ? (Job 42:5-6).
Job 42:5-6
"I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye
seeth thee. (6) Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and
ashes."
I hope you can also
follow this leper in the next thing.
III. This is the third thing that I want you to see - THIS MAN CAME TO THE LORD IN GREAT FAITH (Heb. 11:6).
Hebrews 11:6
"But without faith it is impossible
to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
This
is the main point. I do not know how he came to have this faith. Perhaps he had
heard our Lord preach. Perhaps he was familiar with the Old Testament prophets.
Perhaps he had heard the fame of our Lord from others. But this much I know, he knew who Christ was. He believed his
claims. And he came to the Savior, full of faith.
A. The leper came to the Lord by himself.
1. Others had been led to
Christ by one of his disciples, but not him.
2. Others had been picked up
and brought to the Lord, but not him.
3. Others who could not come
and were not brought were blessed by a visit from the Lord himself, but not
this leper.
4. Everyone had given this poor
man up as a hopeless case. He was a lonely, isolated man.
No
man cared for his soul. No one could or would take him to the Savior. But it is
our Lord’s delight to save the hopeless, the helpless, and the friendless.
B. This leper came to the Lord against many obstacles.
1. He had no precedent to
follow.
2. He had no promise of cure.
3. He had no invitation to
come.
4. He had no legal right to
come.
C. This leper came to Christ confessing great faith.
1. He worshipped Christ as God.
2. He believed Christ to be
Lord.
3. He knew the Christ had it in
his power to make him whole and clean.
4. He confessed his faith in
his own words.
Application: This
is the point, my friend, Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
·
“What think ye of Christ?”
·
Do you believe Christ is who he says he is?
·
Do you believe Christ has done what he claims to have done?
·
Do you believe Christ has power to save you?
D. Now, this is the thing that
strikes me most, this leper’s faith
was a very personal matter.
He believed that Christ
could heal him!
IV. Again, THIS MAN CAME TO THE
LORD IN TOTAL SUBMISSION.
He recognized that the whole issue was in the
hands of Christ. “Lord, if thou wilt,
thou canst make me clean.”
A. Salvation depends entirely upon the will of our Lord.
1. Christ has the right to save
you.
2. Christ has the power to save
you.
3. I want you to see that the
whole matter of God’s saving grace lies under the control of his own sovereign
will (Rom. 9:16, 18).
Romans 9:16
"So then it is not of him
that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."
Romans 9:18
"Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."
B. Recognizing the sovereignty of Christ’s power and
the sovereignty of his will, he submitted to the Lord with joyful hope.
1. There was a total surrender
to the Lord. He simply threw himself upon Christ. And you must do the same. “Lord, if you will you can save me.” (Illustration:
Lee to Grant)
2. Yet, he had hope. The Lord
had never refused such a request before. And there is hope for you. God never
has yet turned away one seeking, believing, submissive sinner. It seems likely,
therefore, that he will not turn any away now.
Perhaps he
will admit my plea,
Perhaps will
hear my prayer;
But if I
perish, I will pray,
And perish
only there.
I can but
perish if I go,
I am resolved
to try;
For if I stay
away I know,
I must forever
die.
But if I die
with mercy sought,
When I the
king have tried;
This were to
die (delightful thought!)
As sinner
never died.
NOTE: The
leper could not be worse off, even if he had been rejected. And if it were to
happen that you sued for mercy and obtained it not, what would be your loss?
V. But, I am here to tell you, in the last place, that THIS MAN OBTAINED MERCY, AND SO MAY YOU.
A. Look at the great reward of his faith.
1. The Lord showed him
compassion.
2. The Lord touched him. – He
did not just speak to him. He touched him, identified with him in his
uncleanness!
3. The Lord healed him.
·
His healing was immediate.
·
His healing was complete.
·
He was pronounced clean by the law!
B. You too may obtain mercy at the feet of King Jesus.
1. He is willing to show mercy.
2. He needy sinners to come
unto him and be saved.
3. He has power to meet your
soul’s need.
Application:
Let me do what I can to persuade you to come
now to the Lord. Come like this leper. Come with a sense of your need. Come in
humiliation. Come in faith. Come in submission. But do come to Christ. Come to
him now.
·
Knowing your danger, I persuade you to come.
·
Knowing the love of Christ, I say, come.
·
Knowing the power of Christ, I say, come.
·
Knowing the merits of Christ, I say, come.
·
Knowing the will of Christ, I say, come.
Yes, I know his will in this
matter. It is his will to show mercy to perishing sinners. He has saved others
just like you. Who can tell? Maybe he will save you too (Ezek. 33:11; John
6:37-40). I know that it is the will and pleasure of Christ to save sinners
because...
·
He has said it.
·
He died to accomplish it.
·
He sent me to preach it to you.
·
He lives to do it.
Illustration: “Help
me! Help me!
Please,
somebody, please, help me!”